The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

choices

What’s the first thing that
comes to your mind when
you hear the word ‘choice’?

Word Cloud

What’s the first thing that
comes to your mind when
you hear the word ‘choice’?

Do you believe in free

choice?

Poll

Do you believe in free choice?

• Of course

• No really

Do you think that we, as individuals, know
how to make good decisions by ourselves?

Do you think we should listen to people
who are more experienced than us?

Poll

When I make decision.....

• I make the best decisions alone.

• I usually ask for someone's else's advice before I make a big decision.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

By Robert Frost

Who is Robert Frost ?

A Famous American poet- perhaps the most famous one.

Team up with your desk partner and write at least three
things you remember from the short biography you've seen.

pair & share

Use the next slide to help you with that.

Poll

Which of these achievements do you think Robert Frost Achieved?

• Winning four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry

• Frost was invited to recite a poem at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961

• Frost served as a professor at various universities,

• In 1960, Robert Frost received the Congressional Gold Medal,

What do you see in the picture?

Open Ended

What does a person have to do when he or
she reaches a point like this?

Poll

Which road would you take?

• The left one

• The right one

​Which road would you pick? Explain.

This is an opinion question. You should write a paragraph explaining your opinion.

Let's first look at an example
and then you'll have a go at it.

​​Which road would you pick? Explain.

Example answer

I would choose the path on the left for several reasons.

First of all, I can see to the end of the path and so I know
what awaits. In addition, I prefer not to take risks and this
path looks safe and promising. Moreover, the left path looks
easier and shorter. Last but not least, the left path is straight
unlike the right one which is wild and leads into the
unknown.

Example answer

I would choose the path on the left for several reasons.

First of all, I can see to the end of the path and so I know
what awaits. In addition, I prefer not to take risks and this
path looks safe and promising. Moreover, the left path looks
easier and shorter. Last but not least, the left path is straight
unlike the right one which is wild and leads into the
unknown. In conclusion, I would pick the left road
since I believe it's the better choice.

In the next slide:
Which road would you take and why?
Make sure you have an open sentence,
at least three arguments and a conclusion sentence.

Here are some connectors you can use in your answer:
*For a number of reasons

*To begin with

*In addition

*Moreover

*To sum up

Write at least 80 words

Open Ended

Which road would you take and why? Make sure you have an open sentence,
at least three arguments and a conclusion sentence.

Here are some connectors you can use in your answer:
*For a number of reasons

*To begin with

*In addition

*Moreover

*To sum up

Write at least 80 words

Enter the Padlet wall link and write a few
words about one of the following.

1. What important decision did you make lately and

how did it affect you?

2. Do you think it’s possible to predict the outcome

of every choice we make in life? Why or why not?

3. How did you decide which trend to take in high

school? Were you in a dilemma?

Let’s read

Before we read, let's review some vocabulary words

Basic Understanding

diverged- to diverge - להתפצל

Vocabulary

doubted - to doubt - להטיל בספק / לפקפק

sigh - אנחה

undergrowth - שיחים / סבך

Basic Understanding

1) diverge c) split in different directions

vocabulary exercise

2) doubt d) not be certain about

3) hence a) far from here and now

4) sigh b) a long deep breath that
expresses an emotion

Let’s read

First I will read the
poem once without
stopping.

Draw

Can you draw the forest Frost is talking about in his poem?

In literature, settings
=
time & place

Multiple Select

What are examples of settings (in literature)

• Summer

• France

• the city center

• evening

• school

Stanza 1

1) where is the “traveler” as he starts telling his story? Write the words that relate to the setting.

Open Ended

שימו לב שיש כאן 2 שאלות ואתם צריכים לכתוב 2 תשובות אחת מהן היא ציטוט מהשיר.

1) where is the “traveler” as he starts telling his story?
2)Write the words from the poem that relate to the settings.

Stanza 1

1) where is the “traveler” as he starts telling his story? Write the words that relate to the setting.

Answers:
1) The traveler is in a wood (forest).
2)“in a yellow wood”. The season is fall.

page 9-10 questions

Stanza 1

2) What prevents the “traveler”
from seeing farther down the road?

Open Ended

What prevents the “traveler”
from seeing farther down the road?

page 9-10 questions

Stanza 1

2) What prevents the “traveler”
from seeing farther down the road?

Answer: The road bents and is covered in undergrowth.

Stanza 1

3) What regret does he express
in the first stanza of the poem?

Answer: The traveler regrets that he cannot take both
roads .

Open Ended

3) What regret does he express
in the first stanza of the poem?

Stanza 1

3) What regret does he express
in the first stanza of the poem?

Answer: The traveler regrets that he cannot take both
roads .

Stanza 2

4) Which road does the traveler choose?

Answer: The traveler chooses the road
he thinks is less traveled by.

Open Ended

4) Which road does the traveler choose?

Stanza 2

4) Which road does the traveler choose?

Answer: The traveler chooses the road
he thinks is less traveled by.

Stanza 2

5) What does the word “that” refer to?

Answer: The word that refers to how grassy and
untraveled the second road looks at first to the traveler.

Stanza 2

6) What similarities between the two roads does the
traveler point out?

Answer: Both roads are attractive and appealing (fair).
He looks again and realizes that both roads are more or
less equally worn by the feet of other travelers.

Stanza 3

7) What is said about the two roads on that fall morning?

Answer: Both roads are covered with freshly fallen
leaves. This means that no one else had traveled either
road that day.

Stanza 3

8) What decision did the traveler make in the woods,
as the two roads “equally lay”?

Answer: The traveler decided to take the second road
but also to return to take the first one on another day.

Stanza 3

9) What does the traveler realize as he takes one of the
roads?

Answer: He realizes that he probably won’t have the
chance to come back in the future and explore the other
road.

Stanza 4

10) Does he think his decision will have any impact on
his life? (Yes/No)
Quote from the poem to justify your answer.

Answer: Yes. The traveler says “And that has made all
the difference”, which means that he expected his
choice to have an impact on his life and future.

And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Pair Work

The Answers

Analysis and Interpretation- page 11

1) In pairs answer questions 1-4
2) Write each answer in your own binder.
3) You have 15 minutes.

Remember, these are thinking questions!

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- Answers

1) The poem is divided into four stanzas.
a. identify the theme in each stanza of the poem.
b. suggest a title for each stanza that reflects the

theme. Use a graphic organizer for your
answer.

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 1) a & b

Stanza

Theme

Possible title

Stanza 1 The speaker arrives to a crossroads

and has to choose one.

A Choice of
Roads

Stanza 2 One road seems less traveled at first

look, but not really.

Think carefully

Stanza 3 The speaker chooses one road and

regretfully gives up the other.

A Hard
Decision

Stanza 4 He predicts that his choice will turn out

to be either good or bad.

Outcomes

A metaphor

A metaphor is an image or word picture
that describes one thing by comparing it
to something else, but without the use of
‘like’ or ‘as’ (that we can find in a simile).

2. The Road Not Taken is about having to choose which road
to take on a walk in the woods. However, the whole poem
can also be seen as a metaphor for the journey of life. Can
you explain why?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 2

Answer: the choice of roads in the woods compares to the
choices and roads we take in life. These choices are
sometimes complicated and they are not always clear.

In art, choice is often symbolized by the letter Y, with
the forked top clearly indicating two options.

Y

In art, choice is often symbolized by the letter Y, with
the forked top clearly indicating two options.

Y

3.A. What is the symbol for choice in the poem?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 3

Answer: The symbol is crossroads. (a fork (Y) in the road).

3.B. Quote the phrase the poet uses to suggest this symbol,
including the line reference?

Answer: Two roads diverged in a wood (lines 1,18)

3.C. Why do you think the phrase you used in 3b is
repeated?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 3

Answer: Repetition strengthens the symbol. It makes it clear
to the reader that decision making is not always simple.

4. Look at lines 1 and 12:

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood”,

“In leaves no step had trodden black.”

a. What do these two lines tell us about the season in

which the journey takes place?

b. in your opinion, is it important what season it is?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 4

4. Look at lines 1 and 12:

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood”,

“In leaves no step had trodden black.”

a. What do these two lines tell us about the season in

which the journey takes place?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 4

Answer:
a) We can learn that it’s fall/autumn when the leaves turn
yellow and fall of the trees.

4. Look at lines 1 and 12:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood”,
“In leaves no step had trodden black.”

b. in your opinion, is it important what season it is?

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 4

Answer: b. options:
1) fall/autumn means maturity, a time in life when you can make your own
decisions.

2) It’s a season of change.

3)The leaves on the ground are making it harder to see down the further
down the road.

Homework due Thursday 24/01

1) Read the poem one more time.
2) Listen to the poem one more time.
3) Re-read the ‘LOTS’ questions and answers we

did together in class.

4) Re-read the ‘HOTS’ questions and answers

we did together in class.

A paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but
is not really.

5. Look at lines 13 and 15:

“Oh, I kept the first for another day! …
I doubted if I should ever come back.”

These two statements form a paradox - they seem to contradict
each other but don’t really.

Explain what the traveler means in the context of the poem.

Analysis and interpretation- page 11- question 5

5. The traveler wanted to come back at some future time and take
the other road as well, but he knew that things don’t work out that
way and it virtually impossible since roads continue to diverge.

Distinguishing Different Perspectives

First, read the yellow box carefully,
then answer questions 6 & 7.

Page 12- question 6

6. Frost himself referred to The Road Not Taken as a “tricky, very tricky” poem.

a.

Explain the meaning in the poem using two possible perspectives:

1.

Sigh = sigh of relief.

2.

Sigh = sigh of regret.

Answer:
1. Sigh of relief- The speaker will feel relief/he will be

glad/he will feel like he made the right decision when
he took the road less traveled/less worn as his choice
will have turned out to be a good one.

Page 12- question 6

6. Frost himself referred to The Road Not Taken as a “tricky, very tricky” poem.

a.

Explain the meaning in the poem using two possible perspectives:

1.

Sigh = sigh of relief.

2.

Sigh = sigh of regret.

2. Sigh of regret- The speaker would have liked the
chance to explore/try/check the other road (the first one)
as well, but it was not possible since you can only
choose one road at a time. He regrets he didn’t take the
first one.

Page 12- question 6

6. Frost himself referred to The Road Not Taken as a “tricky, very tricky” poem.

b. Which perspective do you think the poet meant? Why?

Answer:

You must explain your perspective as clear as
possible.

Example: The traveler sighs since he knows that once
you decide to do one thing you also decide not to do
something else.

Page 12- question 6

6. Frost himself referred to The Road Not Taken as a “tricky, very tricky” poem.

c. Which perspective do you relate to better? Why?

Answer:

Your answer should be logical and connected
to the poem.

Page 12- question 7 A

7. The speaker says he took the road that “wanted wear”
(line 8) and that was “less traveled by” (line 19).

a. What kind of perspective on life might this traveler have?

Answer:
a. The traveler seems ready to take a chance on something

not clear. This tells us that his perspective on life is that it
is an adventure and he is ready to try new things.

Page 12- question 7 B

7. The speaker says he took the road that “wanted wear”
(line 8) and that was “less traveled by” (line 19).

b. What kind of perspective on life might make someone
prefer the road that the poet didn’t take?

Answer:
1) If everyone took it’s probably good and it has been
checked many times before.

2) It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Literary term -Tone

Tone express an attitude through the choice of
topic and words. A writer’s tone can be angry,
serious, humorous, formal, informal,
mysterious, ironic, cynical, regretful and so on.

Page 12- question 8

8. Quote words or phrases from the poem that
express a tone of:
a. regret | b. indecision | c. hopefulness

Answer:
a. “sorry I could not travel both”

b. “long I stood”
c. “Oh, I kept the first for another day!”

Page 12- question 9

9. A poem often manages to say a great deal in
just a few words. Tell the story of the traveler that
day in as few words as possible.

Answer:
A traveler stands on a crossroad in the wood.
From what he can see, both roads looked pretty
much the same. The traveler chose the road he
thought fewer people had used.

BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT

What does it mean?

You need to connect the text to another element.

TEXT

poet’s life

era

place

quotes

major
events

special
location

famous
quote

major
events/where
s/he lived

BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT

What does it mean?

You need to connect the text to another element.

TEXT

poet’s life

era

place

quotes

major
events

special
location

famous
quote

major
events/where
s/he lived

BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT

This question is worth 20 points.

You are required to connect new information or a
quote to the poem.

The suggested answer length should be 80-100
words.

BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT

Your answer should show a clear connection between
the new information and the literary piece.

You must provide supporting evidence and/or
examples from the literary piece.

BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT

Your turn

Read and understand the information that’s provided
in the textbook.

Page 13- question 1

From what you have just read about Frost’s life,
how do you think the road the poet himself took
“made all the difference”?

Answer: The “less traveled by” road that Frost took in
his own personal life was to become a poet. Not many
people decide to become poets. Before that, he was a
farmer and he kept on teaching but he became famous
because of his poems. And that has made all the
difference.

Page 13- question 2

9. How does this information affect your
understanding of the poem?

Answer: His background of living in the countryside
and working as a farmer helps us understand why
Frost chose the setting of a journey through the
woods to present his concepts. It is an image he is
very familiar with.

We stopped here

Your Turn

“Most of Frost’s poems use nature imagery. He
uses natural settings to illustrate human situations
and problems people face.”

Make a connection between the above information
and the poem. Support your answer with information
from the text.

The poem, The Road Not Taken, takes place in a
forest. It starts with a description of the woods and
the yellow leaves. The leaves that have fallen from
the trees tell us it is autumn. Together with the
undergrowth, it is hard to see where the roads lead.
This setting is used as a metaphor for the
complexity in decision making in an individual’s life.
This is a familiar situation for everyone who ever
had to make a decision in life. The road in the forest
stands for the journey of life which is mysterious
and sometimes unpredictable.

Points for writing BT&C

1. In literature we say poems (not songs)
2. Make sure you connect the text to the literary

piece and bring at least one example from the
text.

3. Write ‘two’ and not ‘2’. Two roads…
4. Check your answer length. 80-100 words.
5. Syntax- grammar
6. Reread what you’ve wrote.

Reflection

1. What did you like most about this poem?

Explain.

Reflection

1. How did learning about distinguishing

different perspectives help you understand
this poem?

HOTS- Compare & Contrast

quote

“It is better to be safe than sorry”

"The past cannot be changed, and we carry
our choices with us, forward, into the
unknown. We can only move on." — Libba
Bray